The compound 2,6-dihalo-3,5-dinitrotoluene (“DHDNT”) (I),
wherein Z is Br or Cl, may be used as a starting material or intermediate in the preparation of a variety of products, which include dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, agrochemicals, and monomers for incorporation into polymers.
Known processes for the preparation of DCDNT
(see, e.g., EP 237,955) require a costly work-up procedure (“quench”) wherein the product and a sulfuric acid reaction mixture is added to a large quantity of ice and/or diluted with 5-10 times the volume of water. The large volumes, the difficulties of managing the exotherm associated with this quench procedure, and the difficulty of recycling the sulfuric acid result in considerable fixed and variable cost.
It would be desirable to eliminate the need for a quench procedure in the preparation of a compound such as DHDNT, and a need thus remains for an improved process for making compounds of Formula (I), particularly 2,6-dichloro-3,5-dinitrotoluene (“DCDNT”), with improved selectivity and high purity.